


Acta est fabula, plaudite!

by Someone_end_me



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Depression, Dissociation, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lance Needs a Hug, Lance is sad, M/M, Mama Blue, Pansexual Character, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Trans Lance (Voltron), Trans Pidge | Katie Holt, anger managment disorder, blue doesn't know how mental illness works, but she tries, hunk cares alot, im sorry, male pronouns for lance, pls be kind, this is my first fic, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 23:08:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9406985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Someone_end_me/pseuds/Someone_end_me
Summary: Acta est fabula, plaudite! (the play is over applaud) ON HIATUSLance isn't in a good place. No one really knows how bad it is until it's almost too late...





	1. A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi (A precipice in front, wolves behind)

**Author's Note:**

> Lance isn't in a good place. No one but Hunk seems to really realize until it's almost too late but they think they can patch him back together.
> 
>  
> 
> i wrote this on impulse and suck at summaries so i hope this is better than that. this depicts a heavily mentally ill lance because sad lance is my kink. all depictions of mental illness are based on research i have done and my own experiences, if there is something i can do to make the depictions more accurate pls let me know!!!

There was no medicine in space. There were no pills in space. He hadn’t taken his pills with him, he didn't know he was going to be spending an undetermined amount of time flying giant space cats and fighting in a war. He was nineteen for god sake, nineteen-year-olds didn’t go to war.  
A hit to the side of Blue knocked him out of his thoughts. He could hear Shiro telling him to focus but he couldn’t, he was floating too much.  
“Lance, you asshat, pat attention.” He could barely hear Keith his mind was too fuzzy, his eyes couldn’t focus and his whole body felt heavy.  
_I’ll take over my paladin. Let me into your mind, just sleep._ He could feel the usually dull thrum of Blue’s presence in his mind growing stronger. Was he really allowed to let go and just let himself float? _Let me help you, my beloved paladin._  
~  
~  
“Lance you need to work on your focus, we need you to be a part of the team.” Shiro was staring at him, looking like his father. Disappointed in him, always disappointed. “Lance, Lance are you even listening to me?” He was trying to but it was so hard, his brain felt all fuzzy and floaty.  
“If you’re not even going to pay attention to us while we’re trying to help you maybe you shouldn’t be a paladin!” Pidge was draped across the couch, a bruise forming on her left cheek from when Green was knocked so hard that she flew out of the pilot's chair. It was because he couldn’t help her, he was too floaty at the time and Blue hadn’t taken over yet.  
“Dude, Pidge, that was a little harsh, don’t you think?” Hunk shuffled in the middle of the group, not knowing what side to take. Hunk wanted to support him but he was the one who got Pidge hurt.  
“I got a concussion because of him! He couldn’t be a barely decent pilot for five seconds and I’m the one who has to suffer for it?” Hunk flinched. That was definitely too cruel.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get you hurt.” Pidge’s words weren’t a lie, he was a horrible pilot. _No, no my paladin you are an amazing pilot. You simply are disabled, it is not your fault._ But it is true, he’s only a cargo pilot. It’s his fault that they’re losing the war. _You cannot put that on yourself, my paladin. You are not the cause of the war, you are not the reason that we are failing. Voltron is not even failing, you must let go of your worries my paladin._  
He could barely hear the others over the sound of Blue and the own buzzing in his head. Blue just didn’t understand, he couldn’t let it go. He’s tried that, he’s been told to just breathe and forget, it will all be ok, maybe he should try doing yoga. _I do not understand what you are going through my paladin, tell me how to help. I have never encountered your species before, I do not understand how your brains work and why yours differentiates from the other paladins so greatly but teach me how to help._  
He didn’t know.


	2. Tanta stultitia mortalium est (Such is the foolishness of mortals)

This battle had gone better than the last but then again he had let Blue take over from the beginning. He was tired and didn't sleep last night, he kept thinking there were bugs in his ears and under his skin. There were no bugs in space.

Blue had figured out a way to help him; she gave him a safe place to hide away from everyone else when their stares got too intense and words too cold. She let him sleep and took over when he couldn’t process social interactions. She calmed him down when he panicked. Blue was the best.

 _My paladin, the battle is over, would you like to return to your room to rest?_ No, he didn’t want to go back there right now. Maybe he could try cooking with Hunk, Hunk always made him feel better.

“Hey, buddy!” Hunk was smiling but he knew him too well, he could see the worry in Hunk’s eyes. “Want to see if we can make some buñuelos? I found some stuff that should taste like it when done.” God, he loved Hunk.

“Totally, dude! Move aside and let the master work his magic.” It was easier to be happy around Hunk, he met Hunk when he was 10. Hunk had punched someone making fun of him and then started crying and apologizing to the bully. Hunk made it is easy to be happier.

“Hey Lance, what Pidge said, she didn’t mean it. And if she did then I’m going to have a long talk with her.” Hunk put his arms around his shoulders and squeezed hard. Knowing he took comfort in physical contact Hunk held on longer than normal.

“Nah, my man. It’s fine, she wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true.” Blue growled in his mind but he pushed her into the back, he would listen to her complain later.

“No, what she said wasn’t true. I understand her disorder, she has a hard time filtering what she says and can act out against others when stressed or experiencing extreme emotions but that doesn’t excuse what she said and doesn’t excuse the fact that she hasn’t apologised yet.” Hunk stirred the batter as he talked. “I’m going to talk to her later, I’m pretty sure she feels bad but doesn’t know how to apologise.”

“Buddy, seriously, it’s completely fine. She has an anger management disorder, she has trouble sometimes we all do.” Hunk glared at him. Apparently, he screwed up around Hunk too. He was just constantly screwing things up.

“Yeah, and you don’t know when to not forgive someone. She may have an anger management disorder but that only explains her actions, not excuse them.”

“Sure buddy.” The buñuelos had finished about 2 minutes ago and he took a few to chew on while Hunk left, just like everybody else did. _I will not leave you my paladin, and I never will._

Blue was the best.

~

~

Hunk knew something was wrong with Lance. He hadn’t been eating and he could tell Lance was dissociating something fierce. It’s why their last couple of battles hadn’t gone that well. He assumed it had something to do with not having any medication and probably some homesickness, he knew that was why Pidge was having more problems recently, but Lance had never gotten this bad before.

He was still mad at Pidge though, who had admitted that she didn’t mean what she said but didn’t know how to apologise. But hiding away to work on her projects wouldn’t help anything.

“Pidge,” her little head popped up from behind the robot she was working, “we need to talk.”

“I know. I don’t know how to apologise to him.” Pidge looked down at the little robot she had been working on, looking close to tears.

“Well, what’s stopping you? What are you scared will happen?” Pidge shrugged and tinkered with the robot aggressively.

“I don’t know, he just seems off lately and I’m scared of upsetting him more.” Pidge got up and started pacing, picking at the hand on the back of their skin. “He seems home sick again and I know people were mean to him about his piloting skills, that are actually pretty good, and I just feel like crap.” Lance’s cousin went to the Garrison and was a few years older than them. He was the one that stood up to Lance’s bullies half the time. “I don’t want to make his homesickness worse.”

“Oh, Pidge,” He pulled her into a tight hug, ignoring the wet spots showing up on his shoulder, “I understand wanting to keep everyone happy and I know it hurts to see Lance miss his family but it would be so much better to apologize, even if you had to apologize through a robot at this point in time it would make him feel so much better. He has a hard time knowing when people say things they mean and things they say when they’re just frustrated.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks, Hunk, you never fail to help me.” He smiled and squeezed her hard one last time before letting go and ruffling her hair.

“Glad to help.”

~

~

Lance was wandering. He couldn’t really muster up the energy to do much else.

He turned a corner and tripped, landing square on his face against the cold floor. Oh well, he might as well stay there, he wasn’t doing anything better with his time. Except, there was a little beeping sound next to his ear that was starting to give him a headache. When he looked up there was a little robot next to his head holding a note in its claw thing.

Lance, I’m sorry for the things I said after the battle, I didn’t mean them at all. I’m scared to ~~apologise properly and~~ in person because I don’t want to make the homesickness you probably have worse. I’m not used to being off my medication and it makes me more easily irritated, and while that doesn’t excuse my actions I hope it helps ~~you understand why I said what I said to~~ explain why I said what I did. You are my family and precious friend and I never want to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me and I hope that I can properly apologise to you.

Pidge

Well, at least she faked an apology instead of just not doing anything. _My paladin, she means what she writes. Green feels her sorrow and remorse over her actions._ Oh. Well, at least she thinks it’s just homesickness.


	3. Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat (The mind intent upon false appearances refuses to admit better things)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have horrible periods and like to project on fake characters so rip lance  
> also this is short because i am a tired bean but a committed one

Lance had woken up from a nightmare again. There were snakes in his stomach this time, curling and coiling around his gut and faking hunger.  _You have not eaten today my paladin._ Oh, that was why.

He crawled out of bed and collapsed on the floor in pain. Gasping he got up and could feel the squishing, gushing sensation on liquid coming out of him. He thought he was over this, but again, there weren't any pills or shots or patches or anything else in space. Limping to the bathroom, he grabbed a couple layers of toilet paper and shoved them in his already wet boxer-briefs. _My paladin why are you in so much pain?_

"I'm on my period Blue." She probably didn't know what that meant. _I do my paladin many of my past paladins have had them. I can sense your worry, you shall not change in my eyes._ "Thanks Blue." He was tired and in pain and just wanted to sleep, he could feel Blue pushing at the corners of his mind, moving him toward the mental bedroom they had built together.  _Rest my beloved paladin, I shall ensure you get the proper nutrition and supplies, I know enough of this castle to be able to find them._ His opinion that Blue was the best strengthened as he curled in his mental bed.

~

~

Keith was training when he saw Lance walk down the hallway to the kitchen. It was odd to see that taller boy up so late when he constantly gripped about needing his beauty sleep but something else was off. Lance's expression was too dead to really be him. While trying to closer to the Cuban teen he tripped over the remnants of the training droid and was caught.

"Red pala...Keith you should be asleep." Was Lance just about to call him red paladin? "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask the same of you?"

"I missed dinner and was hungry." There was no sarcasm in his tone, no witty comment or insult, Lance just seemed dead.

"Why don't I come with you," he was suspicious, something had to be wrong with Lance if he didn't take the chance to insult him. "I was training pretty hard and could go for some food goo." Lance cocked his head to side and shrugged, making his way to kitchen with more grace and calm that he ever had before. "You alright dude? You seem pretty out of it?"

"I am fine, Keith, simply hungry."

Nothing else was said the entire time he was near the other teen, Lance was uncharacteristically silent and it was unnerving.

~  
~

"Shiro, something's wrong with Lance." he had cornered the older man in the hallway, knowing fully well what effect it would have on him but needing the time to talk seriously without him trying to escape. "He hasn't been himself recently."

"He's fine Keith, I talked to him yesterday. he's just a little homesick." Shiro tried to get past him, bastard still not able to look him in the eye after the night before.

"No, he was awake last night, getting food in kitchen."

"Yeah, he's missed a couple meals because he's been bonding with Blue, it's not surprising that he would be hungry."

"No, you, you don't get it. He barely talked the entire time, almost called me red paladin, and I saw him this morning and he wasn't any different. He's not like this when he's homesick."

"Alright, I'll talk to him later. Can I, can I go now?"

"Yeah, fine. You know we'll have to talk about that eventually." Shiro nodded and almost sprinted down the hallway. Despite being in love with the guy he hated him sometimes.

~

~

"Lance, you feeling okay?" Shiro could admit that Lance had been a little off lately but it happened to everyone. he could also admit that he was being childish and should talk to Keith but he didn't really want to.

"I'm fine, black pal... Shiro." Alright, that was weird. Apparently Lance was calling people by their team position. "Still homesick, but I'm sure he'll, I mean I'll be fine soon enough." Keith was right, something wasn't right with Lance.

~

~

Blue had decided that she was not good at being her paladin. She was too used to referring to the others as their color not their names. Even if she and her beloved raindrop were similar, he was still different. Not as old, not as experienced. Despite her failings at pretending to be her little raindrop she would continue to do so for as long as he needed rest. It was a better option than having to watch him take that offending blade to his wrist. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody else like it when shiro avoids his problems? Also blue would 10/10 give lance a nickname no one can tell me otherwise


	4. Bella detesta matribus (Wars, the horror of mothers)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allura is kind of a bitch in this chapter but she gets better, she is just very done tm with everything
> 
> WARNINGS:  
> Suicide attempt

God, his stomach hurt. He could barely move, whenever he did the pain that would shoot up his spine was too much. Lance knew he ruined this pair of underwear but there weren't any pads in space and he wasn't about to get up to ask anyone for anything. _My paladin, do you wish for me to take over so that we can get you the necessary supplies?_ No, Blue. He just wants to sit here in his room unless something happens. _But, my paladin, you are in such great pain._ Yeah, but what if someone makes of him? Only Hunk knows he’s trans, only Hunk wouldn’t be disgusted to be around him. _My paladin, you are wrong. I can_ feel their love for you, and it only grows.

“Paladin’s, we need to meet in the control room to go over the logistics of this peace meeting and decide what we want from the negotiations.” Alurra’s voice rang over the comms, making him groan and wince when he tried to move off of the bed.

 _My little raindrop, would you like me to take over?_ He probably shouldn’t, the others were starting get suspicious and he didn’t like the way Keith would look at him like he’s just another battle plan to analyze.

“Lance, you’re late.” Wincing in pain when he sat down he muttered an apology to Allura, and proceeded to zone out. He was only half paying attention but he was getting the summary of what he missed from Blue whispering in his mind.

“Alright, I think that about covers it.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Looking up, he noticed how everyone was staring at him with incredulous looks on their faces. “What?”

“Lance, we’ve already been over that. Haven’t you been paying attention?” Shiro looked at him, not so much in disappointment, though that was still there, but more in concern. “Keith asked the same question a little while ago.”

“Lance, you really need to step up to your position. You are a defender of the universe, lives literally depend on you. If you can’t be bothered to pay attention to a meeting then how can I trust you to protect the thousands of people whose lives have been ruined by Zarkon, you do not know of their pain Lance, and you are doing a poor job of helping them.” Allura glared at him from the end of the table, and it felt like daggers were being slowly shoved into his chest while his lungs were being squeezed, forcing the filtered oxygen out of his body.

“Princess, that, that wasn’t really necessary.” Shiro, glancing back between him and Allura, stood up and started to make his way to the fuming princess. “I understand being frustrated with Lance’s lack of attention, but you did not need to say all those things. We all have bad days, princess.” Allura was glaring at Shiro now.

“He needs to have his bad day when we aren’t having a crucial meeting.”

The dam just seemed to break.

“You stuck up, pretentious, bitch of a prude ass mother fucker. You really need to take that silver spoon out of your ass!” He couldn’t stop, all of the resentment and sadness and anger just came out. “You are really so ignorant and entitled. You think my life hasn’t been ruined by Zarkon, by you? I was ripped away from my family, I haven’t seen my sister in months, maybe years, and she was pregnant. I was supposed to be the baby's Godfather, I was supposed to pick the baby’s middle name! You and your stupid little glory mission has pulled me away from the most important thing in my life.” Blue was trying to help, move into the bedroom they made together in his mind so he could take out his anger and frustration but he couldn’t see anymore, his eyes were blurred over in tears. “I never, ever, would have volunteered for this position! YOU forced me to make a decision I never would have made, it wasn’t even a decision. You, and your little pity party eyes, said here you can fly this robot or watch the universe burn to ground. How is that a decision, you forced us with your sob story, oh my father died, 10,000 years ago!”

When he finally finished after a few more minutes of yelling Allura and Shiro was staring at him like he grew two heads, Pidge was crying, Hunk was just looking at the ground, and Keith, Keith looked surprised.

“Lance, Lance,” He could barely hear Keith over the blood rushing in his ears, what had he done. “Lance maybe you should sit down.” He could feel the bugs in his skin and ears, the snakes were in his stomach, swirling and gripping. He felt like he was going to puke. He could barely breath. “Lance, you look like you’re about to pass out, I think you should sit down.”

“I’m so sor…” Allura had started and stopped again when he yelled an apology and ran out of the control room.

 

~  


~

  
His bath was cold. The warmth had seeped out hours ago, and the blood in the tub had cooled. He could hear Blue screaming in tandem with Hunk, pounding on his door. The castle was shaking with the force that Blue was putting into breaking down her hangar door. He could hear Hunk yelling to Pidge about hacking the lock on the door, that he had hacked earlier that week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (i hate myself, this hurt so much)


	5. Bibere venenum in auro (Drink poison from a cup of gold)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi

Hunk wouldn't talk to Allura. Pidge had locked herself away in her room. Keith only stopped training when he collapsed. He was pretty sure Coran had stopped sleeping all together. And Allura, Allura hadn't left her room except to check on Lance, and that had only happened once.

"Shiro, you really should eat something, or sleep, or both. Yes, both would be good." Coran looked up from his work pad, the bags under his eyes looked endless, but he could guess he didn't look much better.

"Do you think we could have done something? Something to help him." Coran put down his pad and walked over to him.

"I have no clue. I doubt anyone truly knew the extent of what was happening to the boy. He surely made all of us realize something though."

"What?" He couldn't stand sitting all day just staring at Lance. The boy who had always been able to make everyone smile was stuck in a healing pod because he slit his own wrists and they were all to wrapped up in their own world to even figure out how bad he was doing before it got to the breaking point.

"That we aren't as good of a team as we first thought. But, and this might just be my own wishful thinking, I think that this help us understand each other better. Perhaps we can learn how to prevent this type of thing in the future." Coran sat next to him and slumped down, cradling his head in his arms. "Nothing we can do about it for now, though, might as well sleep."

"I guess you're right." He tucked his legs up onto the couch and rested his head on his knees.

 

~

 

~

He couldn't stand this. Hunk had known, of course Hunk had known. How long had he even known him, her, them? A year, a few months, maybe. What right did he have to know Lance's personal life, compared to Hunk he was just useless.

"Fuck, FUCK!" His bayard was thrown out of his hands and he had to resort to hand to hand combat with the battle droid. It wasn't going well and he was about to land on his ass.

"End sequence." He spun around,expecting to see Shiro, but stopping cold when he saw Hunk. He hadn't talked to the guy after the Lance thing. "You should take a break Keith." Hunk looked so worn down, he had never seen the mechanic with such a dead expression before. "This isn't good for your health."

"What am I supposed to do, sit around and wait for Lance to wake up. Hide away like Pidge and Allura. Spend all day staring at Lance's healing pod like Shiro and Coran." Collapsing on the ground , he pounded his fists against the metal flooring. Hunk looked at the floor and shrugged, shuffling his feet a little.

"I don't know what to do Kieth, everyone has their own way of processing these things." Hunk gave him a weak smile and sat down next to him.

"But this is how I deal with these things, it's the only time I feel useful!" Hunk stared at him, this soul piercing look, and sighed. 

"You want some motivation to take a break." He knew he wouldn't really stop, but having some motivation to might help him slow down. "You know, he always hated the way you treat your body, like it's something not worth taking care of." Hunk smiled at him slyly, like he knew that was the exact thing that would get him to stop, and it was. "If you want something to do, something that would make Lance happy, take care of yourself."

Hunk left, leaving him alone, in the training room, with his thoughts.

~

 

~

How had she not known. It was obvious looking back on it, all he ever did was overcompensate. He would flirt with anyone, no matter if he actually found them attractive. Despite being openly Bi Lance only ever flirted with girls, or aliens that looked close to female. Despite being disgustingly attracted to Shiro and Keith he never flirted with them, but with Allura, who wasn't interested romantically in him and she didn't think Lance was interested in the princess either.

"I finally found you. How's your robot coming along?" Hunk came up behind her, sitting just out of reach, probably giving her the choice to come to him.

"Good." She refused to look up from her robot, not willing to look Hunk in the eye.

"Look, I know that talking isn't easy for you and to talk about these kinds of things is harder, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whenever you need me. And i want you to know, that I doubt Lance blames you, in fact I know he doesn't."

"You're not Lance, how can you know what he thinks." Blinking a little she realized that was probably too harsh and winced, turning back to Hunk. "I'm sorry that was mean."

"It was, but you're forgiven. And yes, I do. When you blew up at him a couple weeks ago, he didn't blame you at all. And Lance is just like that, he gets angry, or people get angry at him and he will forgive them or say sorry. Even if he was right to get mad or they didn't deserve an apology, he'll still do it. It's just how he works. And he's gotten better, the therapist he went to before all this started helped hi, but it's hard for him." She nodded, it made sense, it really did seem like something he would do when she really thought about it. 

"Okay, yeah that makes sense. I just, please give me some time to work it out on my own first." 

"Always. Do you need anything for your little friend there?" Turning to the older teen, she smiled and nodded.

"Some of that weird, bendy Altean metal that you can only get if you sweet talk Coran. I'm, uh, making Lance a couple of fidget toys and a malleable heater type thing, for the, the periods ." Hunk gave her a gentle, proud smile and ruffled her hair softly.

"I'm sure he'll jump at the chance to help you."

 

~

 

~

 She had almost killed him. Well, she didn't really, that's what Hunk said. But she had, oh what was the word Hunk used, expedited the process.  Sped it up, perhaps. 

_"I was starting to wonder Allura, he hadn't eaten, I barely saw him out of training, and he snapped at you, granted he was provoked. He only got like that once before, when things with his family got really bad. He got a lot closer than he did tonight. Don't feel like you caused him to do this, you didn't, but you did expedite it."_

Why had Lance gotten closer before, what had happened that tore him apart so bad.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok! this chapter is officially done! Everyone take my space dad hunk who is the only one whose doing lances job (making people happy and helping them with their problems (but not letting them help with his)) rn


	6. Aegri somnia vana (A sick man's delusive dreams)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING!!!!  
> This chapter deals a lot with lances ptsd, anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behaviors. It also starts a series of flash backs of rape (that happened to Lance). Please do not read this chapter or skip over certain parts if it will help you keep your mental health and well being good!

He felt numb.

He remembered waking up from the cryopod cold and shivering and miserable. Wondering how he was still here, why was he still here? He didn't want to be.

"Lance, buddy, please wake up." Shifting around on the couch he ignored hunk, his best friend for years, he just couldn't be bothered. "Lance, my man, I get that you might not want to talk right now but please let me know you can actually hear me, please let me know your still breathing." Sighing, he moved his arm up and patted around for Hunk's knee. "He buddy, glad to know you're still kicking." Snorting a little, he moved closer to Hunk, wanting the physical comfort his friend would provide. "C'mere, I know you might not want to talk right now, but the least I can do  is make sure you don't get cold.

Smiling a little, he let himself be pulled into the other teens lap. He could hear Blue, muffled in his head and he was worried, he wanted her back. Wanted the constant, comforting, reassuring presence in his mind. He wanted to talk to her again. He could still hear her in his head, but her voice was distant. It was worrying him.

 

~

 

~

 

“How is he?”

“He’s fine, he hasn’t tried anything, just slept.” She stared at Lance, curled up into Hunks side, twitching every now and then. It was almost as if he was trying to run away.

“Has he said anything?” Hunk shock his head, sighing she took a seat next to the older boys. “Has he made a single noise?”

“He’s sighed and snorted, that’s pretty much it beside the nightmare noises.”

“Does he make those often?” She spared Shiro a glance, who had just walked in looking for the world like a walking corpse, and looked back to Lance who was whining softly in his sleep.

“Yeah, he handled it better on Earth when he had his therapist but it’s been bad since he came here.” Shiro nodded and sat in the chair adjacent to the three of them.

“He never, he never told us about any of this.”

“He probably didn’t want to worry anyone, he has this thing where he thinks his problems and feelings aren’t worth anything compared to other people’s feelings. It’s been a thing for him ever since I met him.” Hunk sighed when Lance jolted awake, screaming. Shiro had jumped back and she moved to the end of the couch to avoid getting hit by any flailing limbs.

“Get away! Don’t touch me! STAY AWAY!” Hunk had to hold onto Lance tighter to keep him from falling out of his lap and onto the floor. Lance, in his sleep addled panic, punched Hunk in the chin.

“Lance! Calm down, he’s not here! He’s gone.” Lance was sobbing now, pulling and pushing on Hunks shirt repeatedly.

“Hu...Hunk. Hunk!” Lance was openly sobbing now, big ugly tears that rolled down his face. “He’s not here, he’s not right?!” Hunk nodded, pulling Lance into a tight hug and rubbing circles on his upper back.

“Hunk, he was...he was back.”

“No, it was just a nightmare. He can’t get you, he’s in jail and you’re in space, so far away from him that he would die before ever reaching you.” Lance nodded slowly, he pulled Lance closer and beckoned her closer. “We’re all here to protect you buddy, even if he could come here he couldn’t get past us.” Lance nodded slowly, Hunk beckoned Shiro over and they all piled against the shaking teen.

“It’s going to be okay, Lance. We’ll keep you safe.” She kissed his head and Lance nodded, snuggling back into Hunk.

 

~

 

~

 

"Hunk, may I talk to you?" When Allura walked into the room Hunk stiffened.

"Yeah, what's up?" Allura spared a glance to Lance, who was still sleeping against Hunk, and sighed.

"It's probably not something to talk about near Lance."

"If you were going to ask me anything about his past I wouldn't answer you." The princess visibly flinched and Hunk deflated and gave her a tired smile. "Not because I'm mad at you, because it's not my story to tell." Allura sagged a little, smiling back at Hunk.

"Alright. May I join you?" Hunk nodded and patted the spot next to him, smiling even brighter. When Shiro had pulled her aside before leaving to go train with Keith he told her that he thought Hunk was mad at Allura. And maybe he had been at one point but he didn't seem all that mad now.

"How is he doing?" She moved the hair that had stuck to her blue paladins face, wincing at the sharp whine that came from him. "Has he...has he done anything?"

"Nothing but slept, he woke up once from a nightmare but that was it. I don't think he will do anything again, at least he won't try anything. The last time he did this I watched him like a hawk afterwards, he knows I'll do it again. And I will." Hunk gave a grim smile to Lance's sleeping form.

"We all will. No matter what demons he thinks await him in the dark we will keep him safe." All of them in the room nodded, determined to drag their friend back out of hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is finished! This fic is on hiatus until i get the other ones up to par


End file.
